TouZokuOu, Thief King!
by SSCeles
Summary: Its the day after Kuruelna's destruction and a young Bakura must now fend for himself. Ever wondered what made him tick? No warnings yet. Rated for some language so far. Ancient Egypt.
1. Sinking heart and those bound to nowhere

_**Author's Note:

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**__No I haven't completely stopped writing at ff.net but between all the put- down reviews on some of my stories, and the deletion of approx. 3 fics over the past year I've been here... I've been put off from writing. So this fic here that I'm doing is one that I am writing and have up to the 7th chapter completed, but haven't posted. I was using bits and peices of it for flashbacks in my other story, Out of the Void, but since that fic is currently the cause of why I've not updated anything I just decided I'd write this....  
  
By the way, some chapters are smaller than others because I start a new chapter whenever I feel like it. So some pages on the fic will have more than one chapter on them. This first "chapter" for example has two!  
  
No warnings for this fic because I have no idea where it is going so far. So far its just funny and angsty at the same time... so no flames if you don't like it. Please don't correct me on my history... anything to do with Egypt, anything to do with the storyline. I don't care! I'm writing this how I want to.  
  
PS: I don't own YGO.  
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**Chapter One - Of the sinking heart.  
**  
I slept under the shade of a tree along the mighty Nile River. My short silvery white hair fell over my face as I twitched and rolled over. I slowly open my eyes.

"Mom, dad, brother...are you here?" I whisper with some difficulty against my scratchy throat, "Is anyone here?"

"No... no one..." I answer myself and sat up, "I'm in denial already..."

I flick a small stone into the river with my finger and stare blankly at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing I'd ever seen. I sigh and stand up even though my entire body loudly protesting, and climb the nearest palm tree. Shimmying up to the top, I keep my eyes down the entire time. I can only hope it isn't true. Please, if any gods can hear me out there, tell me last night never happened.I reach the top and sit on the large fan like leaves at the top and rest my feet on a couple of coconuts. The tree bent under my weight. I finally bring my head to the horizon and look at the smoldering city before me. I had already anticipated what I now see... It was true. It was all true. I was foolish to hope otherwise. It would never, ever be the same again.This made my heart sink. My home city was destroyed yet still burning, still smoking, and now all but a pile of rubble all from the massacre that went on merely the night before. It used to be Kru-elna. It used to be haven for thieves and crooks and criminals... but to do destroy it without notice is just as bad. There had been no warning. They just stormed in with hundreds of warriors and they burnt things, killed people. I brought my hand up to my cheek. And a scar, a single scar, in the shape of a double-crossed t on the my right cheek will forever remind me of the horrible occurrences the night before had held.

"I'm all... alone now." I said to no one and myself. My once cheerful eyes fog over and I sigh. I slid down the tree and sat down against it. "Well... it must be my destiny to still be alive. I'll just... go with the flow of things. I wonder what fate has in store for me next..."

**Chapter Two- Of those bound to nowhere.**  
  
Bad singing drifted down the Nile towards me. Some kind of fishing song. I cringe at the poor fool's bad ability to sing.  
  
"Whoever that is, he sure can't sing." I comment aloud.  
  
As the voiced dawns ever nearer I watch for it's carrier. I see a small woven boat full of... fish... float by, being pushed along by a spiky blue haired guy with a pole. I blinked. This could prove to be a very good opportunity to catch myself a ride out of here.  
  
"OI! YOU! With the raft!" I shout.  
  
"OI, there friend!" the blue haired fisherman shouts back and waves.  
  
I give one quick glance around the water to check for crocodiles. Being eaten wasn't on my to do list. There aren't any so I wade knee deep into the water and I call out again the fisher.  
  
"Can I get a ride up the river?!"  
  
"Ah! Sure!"  
  
I smirk inwardly to myself; I knew I wasn't going to just catch a ride. I plan on taking the ride, minus the stupid fisherman.  
  
The reed boat pulls over near me and I swim to it and thank the fisherman for the ride. The boat reeks of fish... but nevertheless, it is a ride. The guy pushes away from shore with his pole and got back into the mainstream current of the Nile.  
  
My eyes narrow mischievously and I chuckled a little. I stand up away from the edge of the raft and push the fisherman into the water and quickly grab away the pole to the far side of the raft.  
  
"What! HEY! You trickster! Redeem yourself and help me back to my boat!!"  
  
"Don't think so, friend." I stress heavily on the word 'friend' and push off with the pole, and the boat floats quickly away leaving the fisherman splashing aimlessly behind it, "Be thankful there are no crocodiles," I continued after him, "It's your lucky day! The gods don't hate you nearly as much as they do me! Hah!"

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**Thank you for reading, now review if you want... no I'm not in the mood to tell you have to. But its appreciated. **


	2. Citrus soaps and fancy textile pillows

**Author's Note

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**_Thank you kindly for your reviews... And yes. I do know my story has some verb-tense problems. But seeing as I disagree with both my English teacher and my last set of reviewers... (though you were alot nicer about it, thank you!) I'm just going to leave the story the way it is. I like the way I write it... ie: You could just go over and pick something up. You could have picked it up. OR you **are** picking it up. (I picked the coat up on the way to the door. I pick up the coat and make my way to the door. Picking up my coat, I make my way to the door.) Think of it as telling someone your doing something as your doing it. Like you're on the phone. There's a tapping noise and your friend asks what it is and you say, "Oh, I'm just tapping my pen."

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**Chapter Three - Good Day 'mates Today us Croc's are going Bakura huntin'  
**Twenty minutes after getting the raft, I quickly abandoned it where I presumed was 10 miles from the nearest town. I had kept thinking 'Just a few more bends in the river, then I'll be there, then I can get rid of the rotting pile of fish behind me.' But after a while, I really couldn't take it any longer. It was had gotten hot aboard the raft, and the sun had risen to its highest point in the sky.  
  
The fish smell is going from bad to worse as the day goes on, and any hopes of selling the fish disappears clear out of my mind. It's attracting crocodiles, even flies, and for that time of the day, that was bad news.  
  
Why? Well it isn't often the flies thought getting food was more important than laying low in the shady water towards the banks of the river. On top of that otherwise bad news, I also have a headache that was insisting on pounding so loud I couldn't think. I flick another fly off my arm and sigh angrily at myself.  
  
"This wasn't your best idea, Bakura," I insulted myself, "Really now... you can do better. Your survival depends on a witty yet still clever mind."  
  
I pull up the pole and shoved it back in the mud and silt settled at the bottom of the river, and I push the boat towards shore. I make my way through the reeds, until at last the raft rubs up along solid ground. I jump off and pull the raft up some more onto the bank to hide it. Not that anyone is going to steal it. This boat isn't going anywhere anyways.  
  
"I reek of dead fish. I'm in the middle of no where and..." I look up to see if there was any new obstacle that the gods may have put there just to spite me. I should have been less surprised when I noticed a crocodile staring back up at me and then make it's towards the raft hungrily, "...and oh shit. I forgot I was being followed by those damn crocs!"  
  
I grabbed the pole from the raft and hold it in front of me protectively while walking around the crocodile, towards the nearest date palm on the bank. The crocodile pays me no mind, thank Sahkmet, and instead it trots towards the raft. I let out a long relived sigh. My headache is worse. I walk towards the trees. My headache is a lot worse and I want to just flop down when I reach the shade. I take another step. Damn. Is it hot out or what? My head hurt. Why is the shade going farther away? It's hot out. My head hurts!  
  
Oh great. I'm going delusional from the heat. I walk into what I can only think to be some stupid farmer and pass out. Too tired. Can't go on right now. The heat of the high noon sun is killer... Oh well, at least I'm the in shade... so why not just pass out? Maybe that croc would be hungry and coming looking for me and... Wait a sec. Why am I being carried?'  
  
Through my pounding headache I slowly open my eyes and catch a glimpse of the guy I ran into. It wasn't a guy at all. It's a kid, with pretty blond hair and sparkly purply eyes and tan skin and gold earrings and I'm starting to feel a little dizzy... Nighty, night...  
  
**Chapter Four - Citrus soaps and fancy textile pillows.  
** I groan and then breathe in the scent of soapy citrus fruits. My head begins to swim. I ignore it. My eyes flutter open to connect my observation of fancy citrus soaps to something solid. Well, nothing clicks in my brain. I see I'm on fluffy red and white assorted pillows. Some were common linen, others were silk, and more rare still, the one in front of my nose was velvet. Velvet. I stare at it and try to make another connection as to where I am. Still nothing comes. I stroke the velvet pillow with my fingertips like a thief who knows he's touching something he shouldn't. Like the thief I am.  
  
I sit up on the pillows. My muscles tense, I ache all over, and my cheek sears as if connected to a red-hot knife. I quickly raise my hand up to caress the wound. When did I get this...? I stare blankly at the pillows and fall back down to their comfort. Yesterday night's memories hit me like a sword through my side.  
  
"Kru-elna..." I choked, the pillows further muffling my already horse voice.  
  
I curl up, lost in my memory. Last night ... last night ... and ... now? Now everyone was...dead. Gone. Me. Alone... A tear runs down my cheek. A single, short lived tear. I have to be strong. Who was responsible for yesterday? They will pay. I saw royal soldiers then. The palace? The pharaoh is old, crippled and for all I know might be dead already. The new pharaoh is clueless. But nothing goes on in the palace without an order from some pharaoh. I close my eyes and clench my fists. I let out a long breath. And when it came back in, it again came with the scent of expensive citrus soap.  
  
Curse them. Curse them all! The entire palace! All of those blood thirsty aristocrats!!  
  
I sigh again and change my train of thought back to where I may be. Expensive citrus soap. Fancy textile pillows. Still missing that connection...

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**Thank you, everyone! More reviews, please. **


	3. Meeting Maaliki

**Author's Note

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**_Yes, yes, I know I should be updating my other fics but I dun wanna right now. I will update the "rulebook" as soon school gets out maybe. There are lots of things I need to do **including** make two fanlistings (like at thefanlistings.net) for Yami Bakura VS Yami Yuugi and Thief Bakura vs. Pharaoh Atemu and I have till June 17 to do so!! Not alot of time, ne?

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**Chapter Five - Meeting Maaliki**  
I should really figure out where I am now. If I breathe in much more of this perfume I think I'm going to faint... I curl myself out of the ball I had formed and stretch out facing the ceiling. I raise my legs up, yawn like the ditzy eight trade years old I am, and bring my legs down quickly enough to plant my feet down and stand up. This time, however, the dizziness didn't hit me like a wave of nausea. I prop myself against a wall anyways.  
  
I make my way towards an tall arched doorway into another room adored with more gold. There's a stair case, but... It would seem as though I won't be going down it. The blond haired boy that I remember is outside on bench looking out. I make my way towards him and I'm amazed at what a big porch they have. Big upstairs porches expensive to get and difficult to build out of mud brick... But then again, what was I expected? With all the gold and pillows and perfumes of course they'd have enough money for some expensive house.  
  
Who WERE these people?  
  
As I neared the blond boy he turned his head. "Oh hello, I'm glad to see you're awake."  
  
He leapt up from his spot of the porch-ledge thing and came over.  
  
"I'm Maaliki Ishtal. I was down by myself at the river and you sort of fainted at my feet all dazed like so I decided to bring you home. Father's already seen you, sorry to say he thinks you're dirtier than a rat..."  
  
My eyes narrowed.  
  
"No offense or anything." He kept talking. Smart move.  
  
"-All it means is that I'll just have to get you cleaned up before I send you back wherever you're from."  
  
I blinked and my expression probably showed my annoyance. He talked a lot. So I decided to speak just so long as he'd shut up. "I'm not from anywhere any where. My village burnt to the ground yesterday."  
  
"Oh." Maaliki leaned closer and pointed at my cheek, "That must be where you got that, I'll have one of the maidservants clean that up with some sack soap. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Bakura."  
  
"That's it? Just Bakura?"  
  
"Yes." I said aggravated, "Just Bakura."  
  
"Come on! Maybe you can be my friend. Father never lets me have any friends especially not with people on the streets. But you came to me. Maybe I can convince him you were a gift from the gods and then we can stay and be friends!"  
  
**Chapter Six - Caution, he bites.  
**  
So who exactly was this kid? This puzzled me as he dragged me back into the room and down the stairs. He dragged me across a large room downstairs and through a small courtyard. I looked up; in the very near distance I saw the pharaoh's palace. How did I get so close?! Am I in Thebes already?  
  
He sat me down in another room after my view of the palace left and in front of an old lady with some soap. Lots of smelly lavender and citrus soaps. Oh, Sakhmet, no. They aren't going to soap me down!!  
  
"Now come here, child." The old lady lifted a finger in my direction.  
  
I stood, stunned. No. I refuse to go towards her and her oily soaps.  
  
"Its alright, friend, she's not as mean as she looks. She's been the family docter for years, she won't hurt you." He gave me a little shove and I regrettably sat down on a pillow next to the old lady. She leaned so close over to me I could feel her breathing on my neck as she looked at the scar on my cheek.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaah... yeees... this is a deep wound. It may never fully heal. Where did you get this child?"  
  
Maaliki spoke, "He told me his village was burnt to the ground? Maybe he got hurt on the way out."  
  
Quite frankly I don't remember how I got it. But I DO know I'm not comfortable with an old lady sticking her face two inches from mine.  
  
"Are you done looking yet?"  
  
"Oh yes, dear." She moved away and I sighed in relief. Maaliki started into another conversation. Dang, this kid must have entire conversations with himself.  
  
"You don't know who I am, do you?" he asked me.  
  
I shook my head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the lady did her fingers in some black ointment and into the scented soap and wax. I twitched.  
  
"I'm the son of one of the priests."  
  
My head turned upwards immediately. Why didn't that come to mind first? Him. Son of one of those damn priests. I clenched my teeth.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
My eyes softened. No need to blame him, he's treated me with nothing less than kindness.  
  
"Nothing, sorry, I was just thinking of my village."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Eventually I know he'll ask about it. I eyes widened and I opened my mouth to shriek. A hand was clamped over my mouth and I closed my eyes shut tight as the old lady suddenly rubbed black goop into my scar. She let go of me and I was left to my own devices. Them being cursing and howling.  
  
"Hush, child, it won't hurt that bad if you think of something else."  
  
How could I possible do that?! It hasn't even started to subside yet! She reached into the bowl for more goo.  
  
"I bite!" I threatened, glaring. I bit at the air to prove it.  
  
"Yes, child, you're probably have rabies too. You disease ridden filthy thing. If you don't want my help, fine."  
  
"No! I don't want it!" I stood up immediately and marched back into the courtyard.


	4. Hairdressers, garlic bread, and dreams

_**(author's note: Have not updated in a long time. I've prewritten ALOT of this story, so I decided to keep going. Please stop complaining about my tenses and my choice of character names.)**_

**Chapter Seven - Hairdressers, Garlic Bread, and Dreams **

Maaliki shook his head and I heard him follow. He walked in front of me and turned around and handed me a large red coat. Here, it'll be nightfall soon, you might get cold. I looked at the coat. I snatched it and put it on. I huffed and folded my arms in it.

He gave me a sympathetic look and motioned for me to follow him again, "I'll show you to where you can stay until dinner."

I followed, and the coat dragged on the ground it was so big. We turned a corner to another section of the court yard and there was a whole troop of girls giggling. The one in the middle said something again and pointed at me and waved with a smile. All of them giggled and waved too.

I stopped and gawked. Who were all the pretty girls?

Maaliki grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me on.

"Hey, slow down-"

"Ignore and follow."

"But-"

"It's just my sister and her hair dressers!"

I shut up and let him drag me back up to the room I woke up in. He pulled a bowl of dates off of a table in the corner and I immediately snatched several handfuls from the bowls.

"Gods, Bakura, you must be hungry?"

"Starving. I haven't eaten anything in a day or two." I said while stuffing my mouth and sitting down on the pillows.

He sat down across from me and stared at me while I ate.

"What?" I asked.

"You eat with your mouth wide open." he said after a few moments of silence, "Father isn't going to like that."

"Well, priestie, I'm no aristocrat." I said while I tried to take time in chewing my food longer.

He twitched, "Well, can you please not do that tonight? I don't want father to kick you out of the house with your manners. Or because of your smell... you do know you smell like fish right?"

...duh.

"I caught a ride upriver with a fisherman. I'm from-"

Where can I tell him I'm from without him blabbing to his father and the priests? I mused.

"I... am from one of the old villages that helped move stones upriver to the pyramids in lower Egypt."

Quite literally, this was in fact true. It just so happened my village turned rebellious afterwards and went into the Valley of the Kings or even back upriver to the Great Pyramids to steal from the tombs. Also notorious as a trading center, we also had a good supply of animals, linens, spices, and beer. What would this Maaliki kid have thought if I had told him exactly where I was from?

"Didn't the villagers hired to build the temples and tombs go back to their own towns when they were done?"

He didn't know?

"The tombs and temples sometimes take many years and generations to build. Most people don't have families to go back to. Though many ahem of the working villages now have bad reputations, its better to have a bad rep than to go back to living in the slums on the outskirts of Karnak or Aswan."

"Where's your family originally from?" he asked curiously, "You have pale skin and hair even lighter than mine."

"My family consisted, starting with my grandparents on my father's side, of a runaway Hebrew from the North and a Nubian skirt girl. My mother is from Philae after the first cataract."

Maaliki was surprised I actually knew/had a family history. I continued to pick the dates out of the bowl and put a few handfuls into my new red coat for later. After a few minutes of silence the blond spoke.

"Dinner is steak and garlic bread."

"Garlic? Where are we going?"

Garlic usually means you're going into the desert. Supposedly the desert was covered in ghosts and demons and they didn't like garlic or honey and would avoid would-be travelers. Unless they were taking a caravan ride someplace I saw no reason to waste money on garlic. It happened to have been expensive. ...oh well, they are rich folks after all.

"Father is going to a temple in Naquada to talk to the gods about a dream he had a night ago. Some of the other priests had it as well, they're going to go find out what it means."

My muscles tensed and I swallowed another mouthful of dates to keep me from yelling out in rage. A dream? They're passing off the destruction of Kru-elna as an illusion! Damn their souls all to Anubis!

"Well," Maaliki said standing up, "I'm going to go take my bath, so I'll send up some servants to get you clothes and the like and then you can follow them down so you can get washed up for dinner."

He left me and when he was gone I looked into the empty date bowl and grabbed a pillow and screamed into it so not a soul could hear me. I hated aristocrats and their fancy baths and rituals and soaps.

And then I began to notice all over again... all the pillows smelled of citrus soaps.


	5. NO! I don't wanna bathe!

**Chapter Eight - NO! I don't wanna bathe!**

I picked my self up off the pillows and looked up to spot a several giggling girls in the doorway. I paled. Maaliki hadn't been kidding... I would have to take a bath. I pulled myself to my feet and I bit my lip. You know... indoor public bathing wasn't really my thing. Invented by the Grecians, adopted by the Egyptians... and yet... I still prefered a river over a warmed stone pool. Warm water was to say the least, disturbing.

The girls came over and grabbed me by the arms still giggling.

"Look at that hair! It's darling! AWWWWwwww!"

"Is it real? Oh, I want to touch it!"

"Can I wash your hair, pretty boy?"

I had been officially stunned. I had been helplessly dragged by a bunch of girls who were admiring (not the mention touching) my hair! Someone save me!

Maaliki was standing in the hallway dressed in nothing but a shawl.

"You looked distressed. What's wrong?" he tilted his head.

"What's wrong!" I practically latched myself to his arm and tried to put on an expression that said, 'Get them all away from me!'

He frowned skeptically and then smiled, "Ok, I guess we don't need them around. Girls." he looked up, "Go help my sister find her makeup, she lost her orange eyeshadow."

"O Hathor! She lost her eye shadow! How will she ever see her boyfriend Maahado! Oh no!" and they all ran off squealing and whining pathetically for the loss of their mistress's eye shadow.

"Thank Nephythis..." I said leaving Maaliki's arm.

"Nephythis..." Maaliki cringed, "Goddess of the night and death... that's an unusual goddess to thank, uh... where do you come from again?"

"Just up the river a ways..." I needed to change the subject, "You're bathing in that?"

"Well it's more of a decoration than anything else... I really don't need it." he started to tug at it to pull it off.

Eye twitch. "NO!"

"Huh?" he froze and looked up.

"I mean uh... no. Leave it on for modesty's sake, I know we're both boys here and all but GEESH..."

"Modesty?" Maaliki tilted his head, "Oh!" he giggled, "A commonfolk worried about modesty. That's a good one. Funny."

"I'm serious!" I flushed, my eye still twitching, "Just shut up, ok!"

Maaliki did some more chuckling, and turned down the stairs, the cape-like shawl flowing freely, "We can bathe separately if you're that picky! Heh..."

I frowned, rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms. Who had said I wanted a bath anyway? I crossed my arms and followed him.


	6. Emotional Weakness

**Chapter Nine - Emotional weakness **

When we got to the bath, it was really just an enclosed room, with a stone pool, with steaming water. It hadn't really looked too friendly in my opinion. You could slip and fall and crack your head open on that sort of thing.

Maaliki walked right over to the pool's edge and dropped the shawl, sat down and slid in. Clinging close to edge he shivered for a moment and dove under.

I stood back against the wall, watching, but trying not to take interest. The room's scent was full of many smells. Most of them very potent and flowerlike. The stone pool, as it is, was a great improvement over bathing in the Nile, where... One, people can spy on you, and Two crocodiles might assume you're dinner.

But that still didn't mean I want to, or was going to take a bath.

Maaliki's head surfaced, and his hair dripped wet. Before, I had noticed, when I first saw him, he was wearing lots of jewelry. But now... the only thing he was really wearing at all were his earrings. Dangly gold ones with a single downward pointer attached to a gold ball. He swam around, enjoying himself and crossed the stone pool to grab some lotus blossoms out of a bag and... oh great... some more of that scented sack soap.

In flurry of suds, he scrubbed his hair with the soap and dove under some more, washing it out. I cringed. No. I wasn't going to take a bath. Forget it.

He crossed the pool back to my side once more and crawled out, and wrapped the shawl around his waist.

"Your turn. Bath's all yours."

I scowled as he grabbed some towels from a sunny ledge.

"I won't."

"Hmm?" He blinked and turned around and stared at me blankly, "Won't what?"

"I won't take a bath. I don't want to."

Maaliki looked crushed, "But my father! If you're smelly and sweaty and everything he'll want to get rid of you! You're the closest thing I've had to someone my age to talk to in a gazillion years! I want you as my friend..."

His lower lip quivered, "Puh-lease try to impress my father so you can stay?"

"..."

Considering everything I'd been through recently... How I had been somehow taking the death of my family, my village, my life... so... calmly. I realized that the aftershock of it all hadn't really hit me yet. But I did know... that I didn't want that to happen to me ever again.

I didn't ever want something that I was attached to... to just leave me... forever. Because dang... forever was a long time. I didn't want to have any attachments that could make me so emotionally upset ever again. And when one is emotionally upset, it makes them weaker. I could not be weak when I got my revenge. It would ruin my chances...

I'd have to get away from here. As sorry as I was for this boy, I could not stay and be his friend. It would lead to my demise... perhaps even his.

A bell sounded in the distance.

"Dinner!" someone yelled.

We both looked towards the sound, and back to eachother.

"There's no time for a bath right now. I'll take one tomorrow morning."

Maaliki nodded solemnly, "I hope father can wait that long."


	7. Dinner

Chapter Ten - Dinner

For my sake (and yours) instead of describing dinner to you, let me just summarize it. There had been lots snide remarks, some yelling, a threat, a promise, and a consideration.

Most of the snide remarks were that I smelled bad, and wherever I came from must have smelled absolutely putrid and I brought the stench with me, and they'd have to burn all the sheets I slept with. Then there was my hair. I was a demon, his father said, with my hair. The slave girls muttered to themselves. I didn't overhear them, but evidently they still adored my hair and that's why a glass goblet was thrown at them, shattering against the wall and shooing them back to their quarters.

I, naturally, defended myself. Maaliki grabbed me shoulder and gave me pleading eyes, which prevented me from saying anything other than "it wasn't fair" and that I disagreed completely. Maaliki promised his father I'd get a bath, but his father threatened to homeschool him instead of ship him off to Karnak to be trained as a 'priest of the earth'. Maaliki was angry, but didn't defend himself.

That kids got issues. He won't even fight back against his father... so much for a rebellious childhood.

I went to bed hungry, but I didn't mind nor care. Maaliki followed me after I marched out of the room, but after some time. He must have had a silent conversation with his father, apologizing for my rash attitude. I didn't need forgiving. I didn't want it. I told him so. Maaliki found me leaning up against a wall in his room and gave me his sad pleading eyes again.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."

"Well I..."

"What? Do you feel sorry FOR me? I don't care about your pity."

He looked at the floor and picked up a thick blanket and handed it to me.

"Here..." he said, looking away. He curled up on his own side of the room and blew out the lamp's candle.

I looked at the blanket in my hands and wrapped it around me. I'd be plenty warm tonight. With this thick blanket and the nice coat he had given me earlier today. Maaliki really was a nice fellow...

Laying down on the floor, I faced the wall with the blanket around me. I got to thinking about what I would do now that my life was over and I'd have to either give up or restart on my own.

I closed my eyes. I remembered my parents. They had told me never to give up. Never to give up on anything. I felt recently buried emotions rising. And I would never, ever give up on them. I would avenge them. I would take my revenge out on the palace. But anger could blind a person. I must not let it blind me. I had to be be clever, I had to be be resourceful, and I had to never give up on myself.

I opened my eyes. I had to leave here. I had to leave here tonight. I had to go back to Kru-elna and salvage what I can. I had to go...

Chapter Eleven - Destination Home

I rested and pretended to sleep for what had seemed like forever, until all noise had stopped and all visible lights were dim or out.

I opened one eye in caution, then the other, and tilted my head over to look and to make sure my sandy blonde savior was asleep. I was convinced, so I threw off my blanket and darted quickly and soundlessly across the room.

One last glance back at him and I turned the corner of the room and marched quickly down the steps.

"MREOW!" a cat screeched.

Shit. I must have stepped on its tail. Stupid cat, sleeping on the last step of a staircase. I hope no one heard me. I left the house and slinked in the shadows out of the entire complex. A ladder at a wall sparked my attention.

It was a dead end anyway. For curiosity's sake... I placed my hands on the ladder and climbed up and poked my head over.

Vast desert expanded in every direction. Was this... the outer wall of the city? I swung myself over the wall, but missed the ladder on the other side and fell. Ten feet was an awful long way to fall. I resisted the urge to yell out as I lost my balance and landed with a hard but silenced thud in the sand.

The wind was knocked out of me as I struggled to crawl onto my knees. Gasping for breath, that came only slowly at first, I stayed still and made sure all my attempts at regaining my stability were hushed.

I looked towards the Nile, to my far right. If I follow it against the current, I should find my raft... but I have no energy left to paddle against the current. And crocodiles were a constant threat. No, I reconsidered, I will walk to my destination, however far away it was.

"I'm going HOME," I said stubbornly to no one but myself. 


	8. Homeward Bound?

**Chapter Eleven - Homeward Bound?**

Light faded as the distance between the boy and the city increased. The darkness seemed cold, but somewhat inviting. Bakura had never been alone long before. Someone was always just a call away. But not anymore, and he felt completely and utterly alone. His distance to the city was farther, far enough not to be heard. And he headed towards the cliff walls instead of to the Nile. He was free, he realized, to do whatever he wished, to go anywhere he wanted. Which is why he went to the cliff face. It was huge and red, possibly dangerous to climb. There could be poisonous scorpians and rattlesnakes... but its not that he really cared if he were hurt. He would to be cautious, he wouldn't look for trouble.

The wind whistled around him, not strongly, but enough to make him quickly spasm and shiver to adjust. In Egypt, things grew cold quickly at night... Far more quickly than expected. Bakura wished, momoentarily, while draging his feet onward, that he had brought something to wrap around him - and food. He reached the wall and rested his forearm against it, and put down his head. Tears somehow seemed to want to creep into him, but he wouldn't allow it, he wished to be strong.

A rustling noise to his left alerted his attention to a small shrub. Wihtouy moving his head, he shifted his eyes and moved his head slowly to the bush. Bakura's eyes were widened, but not in fear. He stood up and walked to the bush and parted the branches and glared down. Two purply eyes and glittering gold earrings winced and looked guiltily up at Bakura.

"H...hey, Bakura"

"Maaliki!" Bakura hissed, "Why in Selket's name are you following me?"

"Selket, mistress of the scorpian, has not met up with me. But Bakura, you left, why have you left?"

"That was a figure of speech, and I wanted to go home."

"But you said-"

"And yes, my home is gone... But yesterday I was fearful to even visit and pay my last respects. I must go back."

Bakura let loose the parted branches and they snapped back into place.

"Do you understand?" Bakura sighed as he stepped back, "I have to go back."

Maaliki nodded as he backed up and came around the bush to face Bakura.

"I understand."

"Then go home!" Bakura shouted at him stubbornly.

"But," Maaliki stammered, dusting himself off. He looked pathedic.

"But nothing!" Bakura yelled, "I want to be alone, I can do just fine on my own."

Maaliki scrambled over to the enraged Bakura, "I want to help you, I want to be your friend, I want friends."

"Yah, and what about what I want."

Maaliki's face contored, "You promised me we could be friends..."

Bakura's eyes softened a bit, but he closed them as his thoughts focused on reasonable excuse to travel alone, "I'd come back. Your father will be angry. Its dangerous for a pampered brat like you. And I don't want you to come."

"You could get hurt and **die** and not come back," Maalik insisted placing his hands on Bakura's shoulders, "Yes, you're right, father would be angry, but he has a trip he's going on tomorrow, he won't miss me as long as I'm back by then. I am not a brat, and its just as dangerous if not more so for you to go alone. And I want to come."

This was the first time Bakura's excuses didn't win him what he wanted. His mother often told him he seemed to always want the last say in everything. Stunned by his loss, he let Maaliki drag him behind the bush and around a crevasse in the rock face.

"Look, I even brought a horse."

Of which, the hourse was eating on a few dates Maaliki must have dropped to help keep her quiet.

"No wonder you got here before me," Bakura mumbled sarcastically, "But you don't take horses into the desert, you take camels!"

"Well at least its better than on foot!"

"True..."

"And," Maaliki pointed to what appeared to be a pathway up the cliff, "that is the path my father and the other preists took on the travel to 'vanquish the evil' or some such a few months ago. I've never been up there but-"

"Well, doesn't that sound promising," Bakura cut him off, his eyes wandering up the path.

He turned to Maaliki and grinned.

"Alright, friend, let's go then," he said, patting the horse.

"That was the first time... you called me friend... without..."

"Without sounding sarcastic? Yah, probably."


End file.
